


Bet you’ve got a bone to pick with me

by 00FFFF



Series: Out of Moonlight [2]
Category: Hermitcraft
Genre: Angst, Betrayal?, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Non-human hermits - Freeform, Pain, Transformation, Vex Magic, Wolves, season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:49:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22805827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/00FFFF/pseuds/00FFFF
Summary: Ren was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hit with an unknown potion only to wake up to experience the strangest of days.When night finally falls he's ready to just sleep it all off. But he finds that he can't. Worried, he stays awake, letting his mind swim with thoughts about everything that transpired that day.Outside, the wolves are howling.Ren feels strange.
Series: Out of Moonlight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652413
Comments: 31
Kudos: 162
Collections: Non-human Hermits





	1. Everybody likes to get taken for turns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! You might notice a big jump in time from the first work in this series to this, but don't worry! Things might not line up right now, but we're slowly filling it up with many many ideas c: Thank you so much for checking this out as well <3

Today has been a weird day, Ren concludes. 

He's experienced the strangest of events, one after the other. At first he guessed that it was just his imagination, but so many coincidences at the same time? No, _yeah_. Something was definitely going on, and Ren really wanted to find the one responsible for this.

It all started when he woke up that morning. Bright and early, ready to chop some major wood to restock _Big Logz._ He was motivated, ready to tackle the day head-on. He’d been hit with a potion of harming from what he assumed was a stray trap the night before, so, after chucking down a bucket of milk, he went to bed pretty early on. And now he was ready to take the day by storm.

But his vision had been wonky ever since the moment he opened his eyes. He just couldn’t seem to get his eyesight under control. Sometimes his eyes would focus on the smallest things in the distance, and then, in an instant, they’d shift to something nearby, causing a never-ending headache in the process.

So Ren quickly gave up on getting logs today. He wouldn’t want to accidentally chop his own fingers off, now, would he?

He decided he could work on some of the crop farms he’d been constructing over at his Dragon Tower base. Manually planting the first batch was something he’d put off for so long, so why not finally get it over with?

He’d been at it for a good while, following a steady pace, when his hoe broke. Just his luck. Ren sighed deeply, not carrying around any materials for repair; his pockets filled with tons and tons of seeds instead. He had looked at the fertile ground, and then at his hands. The idea of working the land by hand seemed silly at first, but then he thought, _screw it,_ and did it anyway. There was no one around to see him, so what’s the harm?

Ren never knew how much fun working in the dirt could be. Sure, it wasn’t nearly as efficient as he could have been, but he was having fun. That counts for something, right? He noticed that the holes he was digging started getting deeper and deeper. And he’d found it hilarious at first, but when he realized just what he was doing he stopped and quickly took a few steps back.

He’d just been digging around in the dirt like a _dog_. Ren chuckled at the situation, turning around to make his way back to his base, when he lost his balance and tumbled swiftly into the water. _Great. He_ quickly got himself out, shaking his head vigorously in a futile attempt to dry off. But then that godawful _smell_ hit-He really needed a shower. Ren hurried back, deciding to quit working on the farm altogether out of embarrassment. 

That’s when the itching began. And it wouldn’t stop, either. Ren had hoped that a good shower would take his mind off of it, but it only seemed to make matters worse. Getting rid of all the dirt from underneath his nails proved a most difficult task, when he was constantly scratching himself all over.

Passing a fogged-up mirror when he left the bathroom, he wiped at the glass to see if there was anything different about him today. Apart from the stubble which was already growing back in, Ren couldn’t see anything odd. He had shrugged, put his clothes back on, and decided to just go for a walk across the server. No Nether portals, no elytra, just a good ol' fashioned walk to clear his mind. Today just wasn’t meant to be a productive day, he figured.

Ren took in the sight of all the amazing builds that his fellow Hermits have made. Stopping to look at some of Scar’s incredible new landscaping projects, and counting Mumbo’s redstone contraptions that were littered all across the island. Ren managed to walk all day without coming across another Hermit, surprisingly. He would have loved to talk for a bit, maybe tell them about all what a weird morning he’d had. Instead, he just kept on walking, and kept on scratching.

It was around noon when he came across a pack of the server’s native white wolves. They’d eyed him curiously, and Ren had stared back.  
They didn’t seem aggressive, even coming up close to sniff his clothes. Ren had never experienced anything like this with wild animals. He'd checked again and again, through his weird focus-shifting vision, to see if the wolves were wearing collars, but none of them appeared to be. They were wild.

Ren was hesitant at first, not wanting to try his luck, but he eventually ended up playing with the animals. Petting them, tackling them, even playing something that resembled fetch, in a way. He hadn’t thought about his weird eyesight or his itching body during the entire time he spent with his new friends.

When it’d started to get late, Ren excused himself, and continued his stroll.  
But the wolves followed him, interested.

“Um. I’m really sorry dudes, I really gotta to go,” Ren had told them, taking shortcuts and detours to try and lose his new canine friends he had made without feeding any of them a single bone. But they would always catch his scent and find him one way or the other.

At that point the day was starting to get really freaky.

When night began to fall Ren realized just how much hunger he’d accumulated in his attempt to escape the wolves. It's a good thing he found himself pretty close to his old _Stax-4-Stax Tavern._ Surely there must still be some food stashed away in there. He just hoped that the beds weren’t covered in layers upon layers of dust (and that the bar hadn’t been taken over by mobs).

He arrived at the Tavern with the pack of white wolves still right behind him. Ren entered through the front door, opening and closing it quickly enough so none of the furry creatures could sneak in with him. He peered through the window to see the wolves sitting outside, waiting at the door. Yes, this really was getting rather creepy.

Ren lit up each torch he came across, slowly making the place feel a little less abandoned. He couldn’t quite remember where the kitchen was, so the building was pretty well lit up by the time he got there. He paced around the kitchen, scratching his ears, looking for the right utensils and ingredients to make a decent meal. All he found was some frozen steak and a couple of carrots. _Ah well, it’ll have to do for now,_ Ren thought. Tomorrow he’ll be back at his base, and he’ll have a decent kitchen to his disposal again. He shrugged, scratched his face, and got to work.

And Ren knows he isn’t the greatest cook, but he really enjoyed his dinner that night. It was just a few simple pork chops, but it was _good._ Maybe it was because he hadn’t eaten since sunrise. Maybe it was the effect of finally being alone after being followed around by a pack of wolves all day. He didn’t mind, either way.

Getting ready for bed, Ren went upstairs to check the beds. He picked the least dusty one, checked it for silverfish, and then let himself fall onto the soft mattress. It hadn’t been used in a good while, and the bed creaked a bit under his weight. Ren took off his sunglasses and set them on the chest beside him. He sighed, snuggled into the dusty pillow, and closed his eyes.

He would’ve preferred to fall asleep immediately. But the itching just wouldn’t stop, and he couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had happened today. He lay awake in bed, staring at the dusty ceiling above him. He oughta clean it up, sometime. Maybe then the Tavern would get some actual business, for a change.

Ren could hear the wolves outside, howling and barking. _Do wolves even bark?_ They must still be sitting in front of the main entrance, waiting for Ren, for whatever reason. Just what had possessed those animals to follow him today? Did Ren accidentally use a shampoo that one of the Hermits had swapped with something that attracted dogs somehow? Was this all a big prank? 

Today was a weird day, alright.

He lies in his bed, awake. Thinking and thinking and not sleeping.

On nights like these he prefers to sleep it off. Let everything go, catch a good night’s sleep, and worry about it again when he wakes up. Perhaps, if he's lucky, it would even be over by the time he got up. But tonight he just can’t seem to let it go. All the weird things that have been happening to him. He knows he might be overthinking every little detail. _But what if?_

Having had enough of all the tossing and turning, Ren finally decides to get up and walk around for a bit. His mind feels groggy, but his body is restless. The light of the moon is reflected into Ren’s eyes, and he can’t help but feel the nagging, the pull of _something_ beckoning him to go outside.

Ren opens one of the windows, and the fresh air seems to clear his thoughts for a brief moment. He sighs deeply, sitting down in the windowsill and swinging one of his legs outside. Feather Falling boots won’t save him if he were to fall from here. The mere thrill of the risk of being so high up has an invigorating yet calming effect on him.

Shivers run up his spine, all the way to the tips of his ears. _Huh. That’s certainly a new sensation_ , Ren thinks. He attempts to scratch away an itch at the back of his head when he’s met with a lot more hair than he’s used to. His ears twitch, and something furry brushes against his hand.

Slowly, he moves his hand towards his ear. _Please don’t let there be anything weird. Please, I’ve dealt with enough weird things for today please be normal please be normal please-_

Sure enough, his hand meets a long, pointy ear which, most shocking of all, is completely covered in fur.

Ren’s other hand shoots up, only to find his other ear having undergone the exact same transformation. He jumps back inside and runs towards the first dusty mirror he can find. He wipes the layer away with a shaking hand. It’s dark, but Ren can clearly see the person staring back at him. He’s looking at a Ren who looks alarmingly more _dog_ than he’s used to.

He lets out a surprised chuckle. _This isn’t real. This can’t be real. Who was it. Grian? Doc? Cub???_ A host of emotions invade Ren's thoughts, and it feels like he can’t think straight anymore. He can’t stop staring at his reflection. His wolf-like ears twitch and move with each sound that he hears. It’s freaky to look at, frankly, like they have a mind of their own. Ren averts his gaze from the mirror when something else catches his eye.

His eyes... They seem brighter than before. The light from the torch next to him appears to reflect off of them. Ren stares at his own eyes, but he still can’t seem to focus properly. It’s starting to make him dizzy, and he decides to step back, letting himself fall down on the floor.

_This is ridiculous._

Ren scratches his cheek. His stubble has grown considerably since this morning. _Wait._ The puzzle pieces suddenly connect. _No no no this is bad. I can’t be- those kinds of things don’t exist on this server, right? I’ve got to message someone. Doc? Is Doc still awake?_ Ren scrambles to his feet and runs back to his bed, rummaging through the chest next to it, looking for his communicator.

_ <Renthedog> hey doc, can you come over to my tavern? _

_ <Renthedog> right now? _

_ <Renthedog> something’s not right with me_

He manages to calm himself down enough to write a clear message, but as soon as he’s done his hands begin to tremble again. He paces around the room, waiting for a reply from his old friend.

Having had enough of that, and having had enough of all the itching, Ren leans out of the window again, looking up at the moon peeking from behind one of the many mountains in the distance. It’s not quite full yet, but it shines brightly from afar. Ren takes a deep breath, and sighs. His neck itches, but he doesn’t dare bring his hands close to his head. He doesn’t want to touch the- _his_ ears. That would make it real and irreversible and Ren doesn’t want to think about any of it right now. He shuts his eyes tightly.

But then, suddenly, an _excruciating_ pain erupts from his spine. Like something’s stabbing his nerves with thousands of knives. The pain knocks him to the floor, gasping for air. Ren curls into himself, tears spilling from his eyes. He cries. He screams. _Make it stop, please. Make it stop make it stop it hurts so bad-_ He squirms around, but nothing he does seems to ease the pain.

He lays there, shaking, sobbing in a pool of tears. He cries out in pain until his voice feels hoarse. Outside, the wolves howl along with him.

It goes on for far too long before Ren’s vision starts to fade. His senses go numb, and the world goes black before his eyes. Finally he passes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can only assume you know where this is going, don’t you? Gosh, this is long overdue, this was actually one of the very first ideas for a story/fic that I had for Hermitcraft! I really hope you enjoyed it, and I’m glad to have you aboard for the ride that is going to be the next few chapters!  
> I’m a sucker for non-human hermits, as you may know. Werewolf Ren was an inevitable concept, and his origin is finally here!!
> 
> Titles from 'Turn the Lights Off' by Tally Hall ;)


	2. To see how bright the fire inside of us burns

Doc quickly closes the door behind him, wolves still growling angrily at him. “Ren, are you here? What’s up?” He says, panting.  
No answer. Doc walks around the old Tavern. It was still dark outside, Doc had come here as soon as he was woken up by Ren’s concerning messages.  
Having searched the entire first floor, he takes the creaking stairs up to the second floor.

“Hey Ren, what are all those wolves doing outsi- Ren!” Doc runs up to his friend, who lays on the floor next to one of the beds, motionless.

Doc holds his breath, and listens for Ren’s. _He’s breathing, thank goodness._ Doc grabs Ren’s arm, and feels for a pulse. His heart is beating like it should be, too. Doc props Ren’s head up on his knees, and takes in the scene.

He doesn’t know for how long Ren had laid there, dried tears caked to his cheeks, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His hands were cold, too, but perhaps the strangest thing were the two things at the side of his head.  
Dog ears. Wolf ears? Doc wasn’t quite sure.

He brings up a hand to feel them, and upon touching one it moves reflexively. _How curious._ Doc moves some of Ren’s hair back, and inspects the ears a little closer. _How curious, indeed._ He thinks. There’s no scars. Almost as if... They’ve grown naturally.

Ren stirs and groans, and then begins to cough. Doc helps him upright, caressing his back as he comes to.  
“Wh- Doc? What’s up, my dude? Where am I?” He asks, looking around with a dazed expression. Doc helps him up on the bed next to them.  
“We’re in your old tavern, you messaged me to come here asap, and then I found you on the floor, passed out.” He takes out his communicator and shows Ren the messages.

“ _”Something’s not right with me”_...” He reads aloud. Then he remembers, and his hands shoot up to his ears. He looks at Doc with big eyes.

“I don’t know what’s going on, Doc. You’ve got to help me.”

“Well... It seems to me that you’ve grown a pair of dog ears.” Ren winces. “That reminds me, do you know about those wolves sitting in front of the entrance? Is that like, a new security system?”

Ren looks pensively. “Wolves... Right! I was followed around by them all day. It was super weird, really.”

Doc nods. “And you didn’t lure them with anything?” Ren shakes his head. 

“Hmm… Did anything else happen to you?”

“You know, I’ve been feeling real strange all day.” Ren quickly casts a look outside. “I guess it’s still today, but... My eyes have been causing me a headache ever since I woke up. I’ve been itchy all day.” He scratches his arms. “And when I couldn’t sleep I- _This_ , happened.” He points at his ears.

“I see... “ Doc thinks, but he notices the tears in the corners of Ren’s eyes. He opens his arms, and the wolf-eared Hermit falls into his embrace.   
“I don’t know what to do, Doc.” Tears begin to stain Doc’s lab coat. “I don’t know why this is happening or when or if it will stop, I don’t understand- You’ve got to help me-”

“Shhh... “ Doc pets Ren’s head, and scratches behind his ears. He wasn’t sure if that would work, but Ren’s breathing seems to calm down quite a bit.

“Does that feel good?” He asks.

“... Yeah.” Ren admits.

Doc smiles.

“Then it’s not all bad, right?” Ren nods into Doc’s shoulders, and the two of them sit there, holding each other, for a good ten minutes more.

“Tell you what.” Doc finally says. Ren’s ears perk up at the sound.  
“If you’re worried, why don’t we go to my lab and run a few tests? We’ll see if everything is looking fine. Would that reassure you?”

Ren sighs and nods again. “But, can it wait until the morning? I’m exhausted.”

“Of course.” Doc gets up. “Let me just go ahead and get some preparation done.” Ren looks at him with big eyes. _Just like a puppy_ , he thinks.  
Doc tucks his friend in, reassuring him that everything was going to be fine. “Try and get some sleep. We’ll find the answers as soon as the sun comes up, I promise.”

Then he left.   
Ren was alone again. 

He didn’t think he could fall asleep, not being able to lie on either side of his head without hurting his ears, but the exhaustion got the best of him in the end. He didn’t dream about anything that night, and he woke up again right as the sun was rising.

Ren gets up immediately, yawning and stretching in front of the still-open window. The cold breeze is a welcome one.

He yawns again, really long this time, and his jaw snaps shut. _Ouch. He bit his lip_. The metallic taste of blood quickly fills his mouth. Concerned, Ren heads back to the mirror he used last night. His stubble seems to have grown even more, and a drop of blood cascades down at the corner of his mouth. Ren swallows, and opens his mouth as wide as he can.

Nothing seems off at first. He can see where he bit his lip, right underneath one of his canines. Is it just him, or does it look a bit pointier than normal? Ren studies his other teeth, which all seem to look slightly more pronounced. Was this normal? Really, how often does Ren inspect his teeth for abnormalities? He shrugs it off, ignoring the unsettling feeling in his stomach, and turns to head towards the bathroom for a fresh, cold, morning shower. 

But in the corner of his eyes, he notices something that should absolutely not be there.

He’s experienced many weird things in his time on the server. Strange events that seem to pop up out of nowhere, animals and mobs whose behaviour seemed abnormal, seemingly magical forces which interfere with their daily lives, or even ghosts and spirits which possessed fellow hermits from time to time. Ren’s had his fair share of weird things happen to him, too.

But nothing could have prepared him for _this._

He didn’t even have to take off his clothes to notice this one. He could _feel_ it. At the bottom of his spine. He could _move_ it. Brushing against his legs, against his hands. Unmistakably furry and _attached to him_ and _there_.

He had a tail.

Ren’s legs gave underneath him, dropping him to the floor once again.

He stares back at his reflection. In awe. In horror. _He’s a mess_. His long hair tangled to no end, fluffy dog ears poking through. His facial hair made him look unkempt, and he had huge bags under his eyes. And now... And now he- _Oh god. This can’t be real._ Ren’s vision became blurry, and he let out a chuckle. _This is absurd. I’ve got to get to Doc, asap._

Ren didn’t bother with the shower anymore, after that. He grabbed his stuff from the chest, put on his sunglasses, and was about to head out when he stopped in his tracks.

What if someone saw him?   
Was he ready to give them an explanation? _Could_ he give them an explanation?

Ren didn’t want to think about it, finding it too hard to even find words for his own thoughts. He opted to just hide his new look until he got to Doc’s. Until Doc could figure out a way to turn him back.

He hid his ears with his old turtle helmet he’d apparently left in the tavern. The pressure hurt quite a bit, but he knew that he had to keep it a secret, so he endured the pain.  
The tail was a problem, though.  
Ren eventually decided to try and stuff it in his pants. He didn’t like that he could _feel_ himself touching it, nor that it somehow felt _wrong_ to conceal and constrict his movement. It felt limiting, but he would be over at Doc’s lab in no-time. He’d endure the discomfort and the hurt and Doc would fix it all. _He had to._

Checking once more to see if he had everything, Ren headed out the front entrance. The wolves that had patiently waited for him all night eyed him curiously. They looked about ready to follow him but Ren barked a ‘Don’t you dare follow me again.’ at them, which they thankfully seemed to obey. A little bit of concern lifted from his chest when he saw the wolves stay put.

Doc’s lab couldn’t come into view soon enough. The first thing he did once inside was remove his helmet. A feeling of relief washed over him. He really didn’t like how much his ear situation affected him. He couldn’t even think about his- the tail before Doc appeared before him.

“Doc!” Ren ran towards his old friend, falling into his arms. He really needed all the support (quite literally) he could get. 

“What’s up, Ren-Dog?” Doc chuckled, and Ren forced a smile. He couldn’t appreciate the joke quite as much as he would’ve wanted to. He wanted to fix everything already, forget this ever happened, and go back to his normal life.  
As much as a mess Ren knew he looked like, Doc was sporting quite the bags under his eyes, himself. Did he _actually_ stay up all night, just to help him? Before Ren could ask, Doc spoke.

“I’ve been working non-stop to get the machines set up, so if you would follow me into the back, we can get started right away.” Doc ruffled Ren’s hair, and he nodded. 

“Hey, um. Listen, Doc. There’s something I need to tell you about this whole- this whole dog situation.” Ren feels hesitant, but if there’s anyone who can help him, anyone he can trust with keeping it secret, it’s Doc. The two have known each other for a long time, and they’ve worked together on countless projects. Ren knows that, but it still feels kind of embarrassing to admit to your best friend that you’ve woken up to a whole new _body part_ attached to you.

Ren had unbeknowingly walked ahead of Doc, who curiously catches up with him.

“What’s that in your pants?” He asks.

“Excuse me?” Ren chokes out.

“Take off your pants, Ren.” 

“Listen, I’d be flattered, but at least buy me a drink first, dude.” Ren tries to cover his nerves with an attempt at humor.

Doc takes a step towards Ren, who puts up his hands in defense. “Alright, alright. I was going to tell you. Can we at least wait until we get to like a stall or something? I don’t need to take off my pants to show you, okay?”

Doc nods and points him to the nearest toilet. It’ll do, Ren supposes.  
But as he unbuckles his belt, his heart begins to race. _This is insane. It’s ridiculous. How is he gonna react to this? He must know that something’s up, right? Can he really fix it all?_ Fear begins to fill Ren’s mind, and he struggles to calm himself down. _Surely he won’t laugh, right? Gosh, I’m so vulnerable. What if he just wants to use me as some sort of test subject? No. Get your thoughts together, Ren. You know Doc would never do such a thing._ Ren slaps himself in the face, and then finally frees his tail from the inside of his jeans. 

A wave of relief washes over him once again, it feels like he’s been holding his breath for far too long. Ren knows his tail is wagging softly behind him, but he doesn’t dare take a look. _This is freaky enough, as is._ He thinks. He takes a deep breath, and opens the door to face Doc.

“Oh my... “ Doc says softly, and Ren drops his gaze to the floor. His face turns red and he bites his lip. _Ouch. Mistake_.   
He stands there for what feels far too long, ears flat on his head, tail between his legs, Doc just staring at him. _Come on, man, say something already. I’m not exactly comfortable here._

Doc finally breaks the tension. “Come here, man. You don’t look like you’re doing too good” He offers Ren another embrace, and he gladly takes it. “It’s going to be okay, you know that, right?” Doc assures him, ruffling his hair and scratching behind his ears. _Gosh,_ that feels _good!_ Ren feels his nervousness wash away, leaning into Doc’s arms, sniffing at the faint scent of gunpowder and metal.

The two Hermits walk through the rest of the corridor towards the main area of the lab. Doc had set up many complex-looking machines, but they were quite simple, actually, he’d told him.

First, they checked his vitals. Which apart from a high blood pressure, was all A-okay. Doc took a blood sample to analyze, which would be ready by the next day.   
Then came the part Ren dreaded the most, analyzing his new and changed body parts. He didn’t want it to be real, but he had to admit that he was a little curious himself, too. And, perhaps they could find a cause as to why this happened to him in the first place, so Ren cooperated as best he could.

They’d tested his ears in all kinds of ways. His hearing, sensitivity, and even if, and how fast they’d turn to pick up sounds, just like a dog’s ears would. Ren hadn’t wanted to pay too much attention to it, but when he realized that it was actually kind of useful to be able to pick up sounds from all around, he felt the slightest bit of excitement bubbling up in his stomach. While disorienting at first, he got the hang of the new muscles pretty quickly, and it didn’t feel as weird to move his ears as it had felt at the beginning.

Later they ran a couple x-rays, mostly to check what the hell was up with this tail. The graphic image the machine spat out wasn’t pleasant to look at, but they studied the photos together.  
“You see, it’s like your spine just extended itself, with a whole bunch of new vertebrae.” Ren shivered at Doc’s words. He traced a line from his skull to the tip of his tail. It’s surreal. But here it is. Evidence printed onto paper, tangible. Ren tries to focus his eyes on the image, drifting away in thought.

Doc pulled him from them as he gestured at Ren’s tail. “May I?”   
Ren nods and Doc softly grabs hold of his tail. Ren hadn’t really had the chance to look at it before. To _really_ look at it, he means.  
Doc studies the movements of it. And, Ren has to admit; he doesn’t think it will ever stop feeling weird, being able to feel that kind of movement and have his mind register it as a part of his own body. So to distract himself he stares at the colors and patterns of the fur.

It looked quite cool, in all honesty. Ren hadn’t registered just how _big_ it was. The length of his arm, for sure. It was about the same color as his own hair, with the tip being clearly darker, almost black. Different shades of brown covered the rest of it, darker and lighter patches mixing together in an interesting pattern.  
And it was so _fluffy_. Ren has never seen a dog with fur so _big_. But then again, he guesses he isn’t really a dog, now, is he? _Is he? Oh god, is he going to turn into a dog?!_ Ren’s heart starts racing, which Doc picks up on almost immediately.

“What’s wrong, buddy?” He asks, letting go of his tail.

“I’m still _human_ , right?” Tears start to form in the corners of his eyes, but he blinks them away.

“... _Right?_ ”

Doc sighs. “And if you aren’t, would that really be a bad thing?” He gives Ren a sympathetic smile, and swiftly plucks one of the hairs from his tail.

“Ow! What’s that for?” Ren brings his tail close to him, hugging it.

“I’m sorry.” Doc says. “May I pluck one of the hairs from your head as well?” He puts the first one on a small glass plate.

Ren nods hesitantly, and Doc wastes no time and collects a long, brown hair.

“Are you gonna look at them under one of your cool microscopes?” Ren follows Doc curiously, the latter one putting both hairs under a strange looking lens.

“Yes, and I’m going to run some DNA tests as well.” Doc replies. “Just in case.”

Ren holds his breath as the scientist adjusts wheels and screws as he peeks through the lenses.

\----

They ran tests for a couple more hours, and while they were waiting for the results to be processed, Ren was glad to have a lunch break of some sorts. He hadn’t actually eaten anything since he woke up this morning. Did he even have breakfast at all today? Ren digs through his foggy memory, but finds nothing. The smell of food enters Ren’s nose as the the two hermits make their way to the facility’s kitchen & dining area.

“I don’t have a lot of food in here, it seems.” Doc said as he scours through the kitchen. “I don’t actually do a lot of cooking around here, I usually survive off of golden carrots when I’m working in the lab all day. I could fly over to my other base real quick to see if I can find something decent for you.”  
Ren gets up to peek into the fridge behind the green man. It was true; Only a bit of milk, a couple of eggs, and a raw steak, all neatly placed on one of the shelves. 

“Actually, if you don’t mind... “ He began. “Can I have that?” Ren points at the steak.  
“Sure, you want me to cook it up for you? It shouldn’t take too long.” Doc takes the item out of the fridge, already walking towards one of the furnaces. The smell of it permeated Ren’s nose. His mouth began to water, and he had to keep himself from drooling on the floor.  
“No, no, you don’t have to bother cooking it, I- I’d like to try it... raw?”  
Doc turns around and looks Ren straight in the eyes.  
Ren turns beetroot-red when he realizes what he’d just said. He covers his mouth in shock, turning his gaze to the floor.

“I’m so sorry, I- I shouldn’t have said that.” Ren says through his hands, slurring a bit.

Docs grabs Ren’s hands and pulls them down.

“Show me your teeth, will you?” Ren looks at him with question marks in his eyes. “What, are you a dentist now, as well?” But Ren hears the slur in his speech as well. He opens his mouth.

“Fascinating... “

“What-?” “ _Shh_. Keep it open.” Ren grumbles internally.

Doc stares at his teeth, even poking at them with his mechanical arm for a bit. It’s killing Ren that he can’t see what’s going on, but he can guess.  
Doc gives him a nod, and Ren closes his mouth. “Well?” _Just say it already. I’m turning into an animal, aren’t I?_

“Let’s see if those DNA test results are back in, yeah?”

\----

The two Hermits stare at a neatly stacked pile of paper. Graphs with all kinds of colors and walls upon walls of text printed on them. Ren doesn’t even know where they would begin, but Doc flips through the pages, clearly knowing where to look.

“Ah... “ He exhales. “Look here. I had your DNA- Both the hair from your head and your... tail, compared with all mammals on the server.” Doc shows him a table with percentages and letters, Ren doesn’t even begin to try and make sense of it.  
“And..? “ 

“It’s really interesting, I must say.” 

“What is?”

“It’s wolf DNA,”

“ _Wolf DNA-?_ ”

“But only half of it!” Doc cuts him off. “Roughly. Both of the hairs share the same genetic code.”

Ren stares at Doc with an open mouth.

“How is that even possible-?” Despite their earlier findings, the floor still manages to be swept away from under Ren’s feet. He holds onto the table for stability, clenching it as if his life depended on it.

“Are you sure we don’t need to run another test? Did you get the hairs mixed up somehow? I- I... “ Ren is at a loss for words.

“But what concerns me is-” Doc runs off and rips a book off of one of the bookshelves. He flips through it, landing on a page about the moon cycle.  
“You said these changes started yesterday, right?” Ren nods, but Doc’s voice sounds muffled. Ren’s heart is beating out of his chest. He knows where this is going. _No. No it can’t be. Don’t tell me that-_

“Look. Tonight’s a full moon. You get where I’m going with this, right?”  
Ren wants to nod, but he can’t move. He can’t breathe. _A werewolf! It was going to get even worse! Not just a tail and ears, but he was ACTUALLY going to turn in a full-blown wolf tonight. What a joke! Someone wake him from this nightmare, right now._

“I think it’s best if you stay here tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Another hermit enters the scene! Let's just pretend that Doc has his own lab somewhere on the main island :')


	3. And everybody wants to get evil tonight

Ren lays restless in the guest bed.  
He is... anxious. He can feel that something is going to happen, and it’s making his stomach twist not knowing how it’s all going to go down. Doc had told him to try and catch some sleep, while the scientist himself stayed downstairs, continuing his work in the lab.   
Ren absentmindedly scratches at his arms. He can’t sleep. His breathing is irregular. And he just can’t seem to get comfortable laying down in bed, his tail being pressed into the mattress uncomfortably every time he tries to shift his position.

 _How do dogs do it?_ He questions, but he doesn’t think much about it. His mind is racing from thought to thought. It seems so long ago that it all happened. Digging through the dirt at his farm. Staring out the window that night. The encounter with the wolves. Were they at his tavern, still? Were they waiting for him? A strange sense of longing nags at his heart. It all makes sense now, he supposes. 

Doc’s concerned face flashes through his mind. All the equipment and machines, but also the brewing stands and shulkers upon shulkers filled with unidentified potions that littered every free surface in his lab. The way Doc knew exactly where to look in those stacks of papers and data. Has he done this kind of thing before? 

Ren can’t stand worrying any longer. He needs to _do_ something. He jumps up from the bed, making his way down to the main floor. His ears pick up on the sounds of machines churning and electricity and energy buzzing in the lab. But he’s had enough of all the experiments for today. Ren passes the lab on his way to the kitchen.

In the end, Doc had let Ren eat the steak raw. He really did that. Ren’s stomach twists at the memory. But at the same time... He can’t deny that it had tasted _good._

Ren opens up one of the kitchen windows, a familiar calming presence washing over him as he breathes in the night sky. Ren closes his eyes and basks in the moonlight for a few breaths. It felt so freeing; he’d been cooped up in the lab all day, after all. Something uncomfortable shifts in his back, and he moves to stretch his arms high above his head.  
His back pops.

His shoulders pop.

The joints in his elbows begin to creak. Panic rises from Ren’s stomach. _No no no not right now not now I’m not ready I’m not-_

His heart beats faster and faster with each sound that reverberates throughout his entire body. Pain, relief, fear, and energy all buzzing inside of him, sending his brain spinning. Another joint in his back pops loudly, agonizingly. It knocks the air out of his lungs.

Ren drops down on all fours, out of breath. _He has to get out_.  
He scrambles to his feet, staggering as fast as he can manage to the front door. His clothes feel strangely constricting. He barely registers the sound of ripping fabric before he bursts through the door, running, _running_. Straight towards the boundless forest that stretches out before him.

Now, fully exposed to the moonlight, a familiar pain erupts from his spine. He drops to the ground, clawing at the dirt, desperately trying to find _something_ to keep him grounded. Ren winces and whimpers and _screams_. There’s no one around. He’s all alone. 

That single thought manages to sting deeper than all of the broken bones and ripping flesh. His mind is all that’s left, and that is all he can think about; how he can’t share his pain with anyone. No one here to comfort him, tell him that it’d be alright. He has to endure it all alone.  
Ren’s legs bend and stretch and it _hurts._ Keeping his eyes closed shut, Ren tries to call out for Doc. He tries, but no human sound leaves his lips. His vision goes black at the edges. Not a moment too soon, he passes out.

He comes to, but doesn’t open his eyes yet. Faintly, in the back of his mind, he registers that everything is _different_ , but the thought is pushed away with the sensation of someone licking his nose.

Wait, what?

_Someone’s licking his nose._

Ren’s eyes shoot open, he finds himself still laying on the ground, face to face with one of the white wolves from yesterday. She stops licking, looking at him with a concerned glance. Ren huffs. Everything seems a whole lot clearer, now. The noise, the smells, his mind... The pain is gone and he feels... _great._ He feels energized.  
Ren shakes his head, getting up on all fours. He sniffs the air, and he sniffs at his wolf companion. She turns her gaze up at the moon, and Ren follows her example. 

His first steps had been rough. Stumbling over his own feet- paws. But he easily got the hang of it. As soon as he regained control over his body, he howled. Eager to release the tension and energy that have been locked inside him all this time. 

And before he knows it, he’s running.

Ren hasn’t felt so good, so _free_ ever since that fateful morning. He follows scents blissfully. Changing directions at a whim, led by his new instincts. Surrounded by the wolves from earlier, he doesn’t feel alone anymore. Fully giving into his wolf nature, he runs. He runs until he can’t anymore. Through fields of grass, jumping over rocks and hills. Running, climbing, prowling. It’s all _new_ and all the smells and sounds are pleasantly overwhelming. He explores the main island like he never has before.   
It’s pure bliss.

\----

A howl outside shakes Doc awake. The papers he was holding drop from his grip. Alarmed, Doc gets up. That howl was close, _way_ too close for comfort. This isn’t boding well at all.  
 _Please, Ren. Please be laying in bed please still be here. Don’t tell me that that wolf outside is-_ Doc swallows the lump in his throat. He exits his lab swiftly, running up the stairs straight towards the room Ren was staying in.

Emphasis on the ‘was’. The room is empty.

The window was open. Doc looks outside, if he strains his eyes, he can see a dark blur of a figure running towards the woods. Or were there two?

Holding onto his last sliver of hope, he goes back downstairs, into the kitchen. “Ren?”   
“Ren, buddy? Are you here? Are you okay?” The window here is open as well. _Ren, please, I can’t lose-_ When he turns the corner in the hallway, he notices the front door. It’s been kicked from its hinges.  
Doc’s stomach turns. He exits the building, noticing a pile of clothes where the dark figure had previously been.

A red shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of suspenders. Doc falls to the ground, grasping at the fabrics. They were unmistakably Ren’s.

 _He was too late_.

\----

Ren is woken up by the sunlight peeking its way into his eyes. He groans and stretches before he allows himself to wake up.  
His mind flashes with images of last night. The moonlight on his skin, being awoken by one of the other wolves. He remembers howling. And how the other wolves had joined in and how it had felt that he was a part of a group. He wasn’t alone.

The wolves- Where were they? Panic forms in Ren’s stomach as he looks around. A deep longing calls for him to howl.  
Before he has a chance to think about it, he gives in.

In the distance, he can hear others howl in response. The worrisome feeling settles down.

Ren looks at his surroundings. Trees, as far as the eye could see. The sun shone brightly through the canopy of leaves, and were it any other day, Ren would find himself relaxed underneath it’s warm rays. Right now he felt groggy and stiff and every one of his muscles hurt when he tried to move.  
He guesses it’s only natural with how much he strained himself last night...

How he had run. How everything had felt so good, so _natural_. Not being freaked out by this strange, primal new _nature_ that was _his_. Chasing small rabbits and following their scent all the way back to their little hideouts. Digging in the ground, the feeling of dirt under his claws. Meeting up with the pack of wolves and playing and fighting with them. 

He vaguely remembers the plot of land surrounded by a huge gate. Finding an easy way in through the fence, letting his nose lead him to one of the buildings.

The building filled with sheep, all huddled together. The smell of _fear_ when they saw him. How he had growled at the sight of an easy prey. 

Ren’s stomach does a triple turn as the memory resurfaces. The taste of blood, albeit faint, still lingers in his mouth. _Oh god_...  
It had all been a blur at the time, but he was _there_. He’d done all that. He’d turned into a wolf. An actual wolf. He killed Zedaph’s sheep. 

Ren curls into a ball, clutching his knees. His ears and tail were still there, Ren notices. He’d secretly hoped that it would all be over, now. That they’d magically disappear and that it’d just be a one-time thing but _no._ It was going to happen again, wasn’t it? This was going to happen _every month._  
Ren can’t stop the tears falling from his eyes. He starts crying, and it feels good to completely let himself go in perhaps one of the most human emotions. 

He’s still Ren, right? Ren, the human, who likes to work on big projects involving his friends. Ren who likes learning about redstone and setting up crazy business ventures. Ren who mines for diamonds to buy out his competitors, and who chops logs for all the other hermits to use.  
Not Ren, who turns into a wolf and murders sheep under a full moon, feasting on their flesh like an animal. Like a _monster.  
_ He lets himself fall to the ground, too tired to stay upright. The itch is gone, the _one time_ he would think it’d be useful to have something to distract himself.

A blue glow appears in the corner of Ren’s vision. The same blue glow his memory tells him he saw last night. The sound of footsteps approaching. His ears instinctively turn to pick it up. Someone’s coming, but he doesn’t move.

  
  


“Ren..?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the full moon rolls around, calling Ren’s beastly instincts to the surface! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and prepare for some stuff to go down in the next one!!


	4. But all good devils masquerade under the light

Ren looks up at the approaching figure. “...Scar?” The man tips his hat and smiles at him, but something’s off. His grin is too wide, even for his usual cheery appearance. Even through his stuffed nose, Ren could smell the trace of... _something_ that emanated from his corporate rival. He smells... wrong.

"You're not Scar."

"Sure I am." Scar speaks. His voice not quite his own, layered with something, or some _one_ else. Ren knows what’s going on.

“Where’s your mask?”

“Mask? Oh, silly me. I must have dropped it somewhere.” The Vex does a poor attempt at trying to sound like Scar.

Ren twists himself upright again, facing the Vex that has possessed Scar’s body. They do that from time to time, but they always have the courtesy to wear masks to show that it’s not really the hermits themselves acting like they do. Why wasn’t Scar wearing his mask? Why was he here? Why was the faint blue glow emanating from him so familiar? Ren’s head is filled with questions, but he can’t bring himself to voice any. Luckily, the other hermit takes the lead.

“That’s quite the eventful night you had there.” Ren coils back at his words, which seems to send the Vex laughing. Now was really not the time to be dealing with their antics. Ren just wants to... actually, he doesn’t know what he wants. Does he want to be alone? Does he want to go back to Doc? What was he supposed to do right now? Could he just go back to his regular chores and projects? Did he have to confront each and every hermit about his ‘condition’? Oh god, what was he going to tell Xisuma-?

Scar snaps his fingers to bring him back to reality again. Ren looks up into his bright blue eyes.

“We’re so glad to see you’re doing okay.” He speaks.

 _Okay?_ Debatable. But wait- _we?_

“What do you mean ‘we’?” He asks.

Scar crouches down to meet Ren at eye level. Ren’s head starts to spin, a faint buzzing in the back of his head. “We. Us. Scar and I. He was so worried about you, you know? He called on us to help you. Doesn’t happen often I must say. I was really moved by his pure... _determination_ to change reality.”  
Ren’s head hurts way too much to properly process all he’s hearing. He rubs his temples, remembering the blue light in the studios. _The studios. Zed’s sheep!_ “What... what happened?” He asks hesitantly. If Scar saw him, then-

“Oh he saw you, alright.” It’s as if the Vex was reading his mind _._ “Saw you gnawing on some _fresh meat_.” The Vex chuckles at Ren’s reaction.

“Doc... I have to get back to Doc, he’s working on a cure. He can still fix this. I have to go-”  
Ren tries to get up, but Scar holds him down with a hand on his shoulder.

“You might want to get dressed before you set out.”

Ren looks down. Oh dear. He didn’t even realize he wasn’t wearing any clothes until now. Scar, no, the Vex possessing him deploys a shulker box full of clothes right next to him. Ren, although suspicious of every move it makes, gratefully accepts the change of clothes. They’re not the most comfortable, but at least he’s decent.

“...Thanks.”

“I like the new look.” Scar says, nodding at Ren. Ren only gives him a half-smile. He’s not sure how to feel about all of this.

He just has to get back to Doc. Doc knows what to do. They could run some tests again, and see if he’s really going to be okay. Doc... what was he going to say to him? ‘Sorry for breaking the front door to your lab’? ‘I know you’ve been working so hard, but can you help me fix all the wreckage I caused the other night?’ ‘Sorry I turned into a monster and ran off without warning you beforehand’?  
Why does he feel the need to apologize?

As Ren makes his way back to the lab, he notices Scar following him closely. He doesn’t have the energy to deal with the Vex, so he just lets him be. They walk in silence for a good few chunks, but the creature must have gotten tired of it pretty quickly.

“Hey Ren...” He almost purrs.

Ren hums in response.

“Would you like to know who did this to you?”

Ren stops dead in his tracks, Scar bumps into his back.

“How do you know?” He turns around to meet the other hermit’s gaze. Scar’s eyes are giving off a mischievous blue glow, his smile still all too wide.

“We saw what he did. Scar didn’t want to believe it, but I’m sure you will.” The Vex says with Scar’s voice.

Ren grabs Scar by his jacket. “Who was it?” Ren barely surpresses the growl in his voice.  
Scar leans back back in his grip, smirking. Ren pulls him closer, the smell of dirt and buzzing magic was almost overwhelming. Scar smirks.

“It was Doc.”

Ren throws him back. No. _No._ It couldn’t be him. He wouldn’t do this. Doc couldn’t have done this, he’d never do this to him. Would he? No, no. Get it together, Ren, he’s a Vex. He’s possessed, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Stupid, stupid meddling Vexes always out to spread chaos. He’s lying. He’s _lying._ That’s what the Vex do, they’re just trying to get into your head- _  
_Ren stumbles backwards, falling back against a tree. As he’s trying to compose himself Scar clears his throat.

“If you don’t believe me, why don’t you ask Doc yourself?” He laughs. “But what do I know, I’m just a dumb, meddling Vex, right?”

Ren gathers his thoughts, takes a few deep breaths, and continues walking back. Picking up the pace with each worrying thought that enters his mind. Is he trying to outrun the Vex? Is he trying to get to Doc’s as quick as possible to get answers? He doesn’t know. He just keeps going, with Scar close behind him, clearly enjoying the chaos of his situation. Luckily, the Vex keeps his mouth shut for the rest of the journey.

Doc... Could he really have..? Ren thinks back to the brewing stands in the lab. The machines and tests and how concerned he had looked at each new development. Sure, he knew what to look for when they analyzed his DNA. But that was just because Doc was a brilliant man. He had no ulterior motives, he couldn’t.

They walk for what feels like hours. Through the forests, past the buildings that litter the island. The air feels heavy wherever Ren goes. Everything feels different.

He doesn’t even recognize himself anymore.

Emotions swirl through Ren’s mind. His vision had gone back to normal. He thinks, at least. The world seemed so _crisp_ , so _bright_. He can hear the birds chirping all the way in the forest, and low humming of redstone machines deep underground permeates his ears. It drives him mad.  
All this anger, all these heightened emotions. They don’t feel like they’re his. Why is he so affected by them?  
His ears feel _wrong_ and his teeth are _wrong_. Even the way he walks, has to balance himself due to the added weight at the back of his spine, it’s not him. 

Doc’s lab couldn’t come into sight soon enough.

They find Doc slumped against a broken front door. Tired as he is, he manages to look surprised as soon as he spots the two hermits coming his way. He jumps up. 

“Ren..?!” He steps forward, placing his hand on Ren’s face, as if to confirm that he’s really there. Ren can smell the _relief_ and _panic_ swirling through the air. 

“You’re okay... What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to-” Doc cuts himself off.  
It snaps something inside of Ren.

 _All this time._ He really had known. Not only did he know, he _caused._

“Not supposed to _what?”_ Ren feels a primal anger bubble up and grabs the scientist by his collar, pressing him to the wall. Everything he planned to ask him going out the window, being filled with energy and _anger_.

Doc doesn’t reply, looking up at Ren with big eyes. _The Vex was speaking the truth after all._  
Ren presses Doc further into the wall. “What do you know?” He snarls. Doc swallows, avoiding looking him in the eyes. He actually looks... scared.

“Ren, wait... “ Doc’s voice is barely audible but it cuts through Ren’s thoughts. Then he realizes what he’s doing, and drops Doc as he steps back. Embarrassed, confused, dazed.  
Doc is shaking. He reaches a hand out to Ren’s, but he swats it away. 

Ren takes a deep breath, searching for Doc’s gaze. “Doc. I want to trust you. I _need_ to be able to trust you. You have to tell me everything you know about my situation.”

\--

They settle down at the kitchen table. Just the two of them. Ren restlessly stares the green man down. He seems to struggle as to where to begin.

“So... You might know how I’ve been working with animals and mobs, lately. Trying to figure out more about their behaviour, and their chemical makeup, right? I’ve been trying to create potions. But, as you know, magic isn’t my strongest suit.” 

“Get to the point.” Ren is shocked by his own bluntness.

“Every potion up until now has failed. Two days ago, I threw out the last batch, and decided to quit my research altogether. But you- You must have somehow ingested or come into contact with that potion, I- I’m so sorry Ren. I never wanted this to happen to you.”

Ren’s body stiffens. He remembers being hit with something when he was walking home a few days ago. He’d thought it was just a prank, a potion of weakness or something. But it turns out that Doc... _Doc_ of all people, caused him to turn into-

“Ren, you have to believe me! That was a failed potion of transmutation. It was supposed to be _permanent_. When I realized it was you who got hit by it, I-” Tears well up in Doc’s eye. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

Ren doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know what to even think. It's all too much to process. _Permanent transmutation_ , gosh. Doc was really pushing it. He said it was a failed batch, but -quite clearly- it had worked just fine.

Softly, as if careful not to anger him, he spoke. Disbelief and relief intermingled in his voice. “How did you turn back, Ren? You weren’t supposed to turn back. How did you do it?”

Ren is dumbfounded. If... if he really wasn’t supposed to still be himself right now... then- Ren is starting to feel dizzy again. This wasn’t real. He had to be stuck in some sort of nightmare. Each time his tired eyes fall shut a blue glow behind them keeps him awake for a second longer. That blue glow... Scar... the Vex. Somehow they had known about him. They had to have something to do with all of this.

“I heard you were talking about me.” A figure peeks from around the corner. Ren sees the familiar blue eyes and the grin from ear to ear. He can feel a growl deep in his throat, and he doesn’t have the patience to suppress it this time around.  
Scar- the Vex seems surprised, taken back a bit, but then he recovers himself, smirking.

This was all too much. Too many thoughts and feelings and smells and sounds all swirling through his head. The confusion, the _anger._ And now the buzzing of what he assumes is some sort of Vex magic. Seeing the people who he thought were friends... their presence together sends an awful chill down his spine. Ren feels betrayed.

Ren gets up from his seat, slamming his hands onto the table a little louder than he intended. He points at Doc.  
“You did this.” he spits. “You better find a way to fix this.” Doc shuts his eyes. “And you” He turns to Scar. “Don’t get cocky with me. If you interfere with what’s between Doc and I again, I’ll-” Ren stops himself from finishing that sentence.

Ren starts heading for the door.  
“Ren, _please-_ ” Doc pleads.

“I don’t want to hear it.” Ren breathes in sharply through his nose. The overwhelming amount of smells is nauseating.

“I’m going out.” 

\----

Doc still has his hand outstretched towards the door that Ren just slammed shut. He drops his arm slowly. He really fucked up this time, didn’t he?

The possessed hermit behind him poorly tries to hide his laughter, the echoing sounds sending chills down Doc’s spine.  
He turns around. He’s way too tired to be dealing with all this right now. But the Vex don’t normally possess the ConButts for this long; something is definitely afoot. Doc has to try and get answers out of the fiendish mob before it decides that it’s had enough.

Putting his anger and guilt away for now, Doc faces the chuckling man. 

“Scar.”

The hermit looks up with his ever-present smirk. “What’s up, Doc? Don’t you just love the chaos you and my little friend here caused?”

Doc has to suppress the anger that rises from his stomach.  
“I do not enjoy it one bit.” He says through gritted teeth. “What have you done to him?”

“Like I told you; we saved him, that’s what we did.” 

“Who’s ‘we’?”

The Vex laughs, its blue aura lighting up with each chuckle.

“Scar didn’t know what to do when he saw what you had done! He saw everything; the potions, the transformation, the slaughter…” Doc’s blood ran cold.

“When he realized just who that wolf was that caused havoc in all the studios, he called on us. It doesn’t happen like that, you know, he must really care about his friends.” Doc motions for the Vex to continue. His patience is running thin.

“But he couldn’t save him completely. You really screwed up his biology, Doc. Great job, if I may say so.” Doc clenches his fists as the Vex’s smirk grows wider and wider.  
“He tried his best, with our help, of course. Bringing the little doggy back to his original state.  
Or... as close to it as he could manage.”

“What’s going to happen to him?” 

“He’ll turn back into a wolf every month or so, I’d assume.” The Vex was radiating blue energy by now. “Us Vex are powerful, but even we need a break every now and again.” 

Doc grabs Scar, pressing their faces ever so close together. “So even you can’t cure him? Is there no way?” He tries to hide the sorrow from his voice, though he doesn’t know how successful he is.

The Vex looked smugly through Scar’s bright blue eyes. “You know there isn’t, Doc. You designed it like that.”

Doc lets go of the hermit, stepping back in shame.

It _was_ his fault. He caused all of this. He should have been more careful. Hell, he should never have started his research in the first place. He’d _hurt_ Ren.   
He had to make things right. He had to find Ren, had to fix it, he had to do _something._ Doc turns back towards the door. He might still be able to catch him before he completely goes off the radar.

The Vex stops him with a cold hand on his shoulder. Doc turns his head to meet the Vex’s eyes. But they’re not blue anymore. Scar’s regular green slowly returns, fighting with the other color to stay.  
Scar seems pained and exhausted as he whispers, “I’m sorry.” Doc turns around, taking Scar’s hand in his own. 

Scar looks up, and Doc can see guilt creeping up on the hermit’s features. He squeezes his hand.

“I’m really, really sorry, Doc. I shouldn’t have put my nose all up in your business.”

“No, you shouldn’t have...” Hurt crosses Scar’s face, he flinches.

To both of their surprise, Doc grabs Scar into a hug. Doc holds him tightly; he knows he’s not the greatest with words, so he hopes that this would suffice. 

“...but I’m glad you did.”

Scar hesitantly brings his arms up to hug the taller man back. They stay like that for a good minute until Scar breaks the silence. “Wh- what do you mean?”

Doc breaks the two of them apart, holding Scar by his shoulders.

“Because if you hadn’t, then-” He swallows. “Then I might have lost Ren for good. Is that selfish?”

Scar shakes his head, a genuine smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He wipes his tears, and then brings his hand up to Doc’s face, too. Doc hadn’t realized he’d been crying. 

“Now, let’s go and make things right.” Scar squeezes Doc’s shoulder, and Doc nods firmly. 

With a newfound energy he sets off to find Ren.

\----

Doc finds him back at the Stax-4-Stax Tavern. He’s sitting underneath a nearby tree, petting one of the white wolves, looking somber and lost in thought.

“Hey Ren.” He says softly. Ren’s ears perk up before his head does. His now yellow-tinted eyes betray his feeling of disappointment.

“Can we talk?” Doc asks. Ren’s ears fall flat on his head, a frown appearing on his face. He’s got huge bags under his eyes. He must be exhausted. Doc is, too. And seeing Ren like this- acting like that towards him. Well, he supposes he can’t blame him. But it still hurts.

“Sure.” Ren says dryly, he looks and sounds like he's been crying. He pats the ground next to him, and Doc sits down. The white wolf scurries away.

“Listen, Ren...”

  
  


Ren sighs. He wasn’t prepared for this at all. Although he managed to calm down a bit, his emotions were still running high.   
But, he supposes, best get it over with as soon as possible. Face it head-on. Even though he was the one to run away in the first place. 

“How…” Doc begins hesitantly. “How was... last night?”

Ren chuckles in surprise. That’s not what he expected at all. 

“Well... “ He thinks back, now with a better grip at the situation. “It was really absurd. It’s like I wasn’t in my right mind, but I kind of remember everything I did. Gosh, it’s so weird to talk about.”

“Did you feel anything from the transformation?” 

“Gosh, yes. It fuckin’ _hurt_ , dude!” Ren takes note of Doc’s apologetic look. “It was like that first night, when I asked you to come help me. Only this time it went on for much longer.” Ren grimaces as he recalls the event. “Everything popped and cracked and it tore right through me. But when it was over I felt… great, surprisingly.”

“What was it like?” Doc asks. Ren knows he’s asking questions to get him to calm down, but he appreciates it nonetheless. He hasn’t really put his thoughts into words, until now.

“Everything was so... clear, all of a sudden. My vision had been pretty wonky ever since that day, and the headache and the itching and all had gone. The smells, the sounds, it all just made _sense,_ you know?” 

“How does that even work, though? Can you like, smell _me?_ Do I have a specific scent?”

Ren barks out a laugh. “Always asking questions, eh?” He teases.

“You know me. For science.” Doc smiles. “Well? What do I smell like?”

Ren furrows his brow. “It’s hard to put it into words.” He sticks his nose in the crook of Doc’s neck, inhaling deeply.  
“You smell like... Gunpowder. And metal. Those are the most obvious scents. But also... sadness? Are you sad, Doc?”

Taken aback by that comment, Doc opens his mouth as if he wants to say something, but then closes it again.  
Ren leans back again, eyeing his friend down.

“You have a very good nose, Ren. D’you know that?” Ren smiles, but his ears lay flat in a sympathetic fashion.  
“What’s wrong, Doc?”

“I heard you ate a sheep.” He tries to change the subject.

“Whoa- Let’s just... not talk about that, yeah?” 

Ren and Doc look at each other, breaking into laughter mere seconds later. It feels good. It feels good to know that he can still laugh with Doc by his side.  
When they settle down, Doc grabs Ren’s hand tightly.

“I’m so sorry about everything, Ren. I never meant for any of this to happen, and I would fix it in a heartbeat if I could. Scar- He told me what happened, and how he tried to help. But he shouldn’t have had to. I should have been able to fix you, you should never have been put through all of that.”

Ren squeezes Doc’s hand. “It’s... Well, it’s really complicated. But I’ll get through this. I can get used to this, I’m sure.” He wags his tail back and forth slowly.

“... I’m glad to hear that.” Doc sighs. They stay quiet for a little while. Then Ren finally speaks up. He has to know.

“Did... Did you really know what was going to happen to me?”

Doc’s gaze snaps to the ground, remorse showing through his tired eyes.

“Once I realized what was going on, you were already starting to transform, and I- I didn’t know how to tell you, so I didn’t say anything. When I found out it was you that got hit by that potion, I- I had to do everything in my power to help you. To find a way to fix my mistakes.  
So I stayed up all night, trying to find a cure. But I’d already thrown everything out and it was like starting from scratch all over again. And then you showed up the next day with a _tail,_ and I- I knew that it was only a matter of time before you transformed completely.” Ren flinches.

Tears begin to well in Doc’s eye. “It was my fault. I’m so, so, so sorry for what I’ve put you through. I’m disposing of all the materials safely this time around, I promise. Nothing like this is ever going to happen again, not on my watch.” Doc looks determined, though he is still too afraid to look at Ren directly.

Ren’s heart aches at the thought that Doc had done all of that for him. He stayed up for 3 days straight, working his ass off in the lab to find a way to help him. All while knowing that it might all be in vain. He’d gone back on all of his research. And even _if_ he was technically the cause of it, he felt guilty, and seeing him go through all that effort, warmed Ren’s heart.

“I’m just so glad to see you’re still you. You haven’t changed a bit, I’m happy to say.”

Ren cocks his head to the side questioningly. “But what about the results from yester-”

“You’re still you.” Doc repeats, louder this time, perhaps to convince himself. 

“When you suddenly disappeared last night, I was so worried dude, you have to understand-” Doc looked like he was about to break down. Now it was Ren’s turn to hold out his arms to offer an embrace.  
“I thought I was going to lose you.” Doc buries his head in Ren’s shoulders. “I don’t know what I’d do if I did. I can’t lose you, Ren. I can’t.”

They stay like that for a few seconds. Ren can feel the exhaustion tugging at his friend, Doc’s breathing slows down with each circle he rubs on the hermit’s back. 

“But I’m alright now, aren’t I?” Ren realizes as he says this, that he really _is_ alright. He’s going to be okay. Sure, this was going to take some time to get used to, but he would, eventually.

“I’m so glad you’re still here.” Doc smiles. Ren gives him a smile back.  
Doc finally looks up and starts scratching Ren behind his ears. Ren happily leans into the touch. “Well, you may have gained a few new quirks, but I think they suit you.” They both laugh.

A flash of blue light signals the arrival of a familiar possessed hermit.

“I believe a ‘thank you’ is in order, yeah?” Scar’s layered voice sounds.

Ren lets go of Doc, looking up at his corporate rival. His eyes once again bright blue.

“Y’know what? If Doc’s right, then I could have actually turned into a full-on wolf. For like. Forever. So I think I prefer this. Thank you, Scar. And Vex.”

Scar nods. “May the Vex be with you.” And with that sentence, the blue glow fades. Scar collapses, but Doc, in his tired haze, manages to catch him.

“Welcome back, Scar.”

“...Hey Doc. Ren.” Scar collects himself before he gets up. Ren gets up as well, dusting himself off a bit. Scar eyes him down.

“I’m digging the new look!” He says enthusiastically. Scar looks considerably less energetic than he did a while ago, but he still manages to project an aura of joy. His smile is genuine, for once. 

“Y’know what?” Ren says, now filled with Scar’s contagious energy and mood. His tail wags involuntarily, and he smiles at Doc. 

  
  


“I’m digging it too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been well over a week, but it’s finally here! Disproportionately long but finally it’s done! I hope you enjoyed this little passion project of mine, I certainly loved writing it!! Let me know what you thought, and if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask! I won’t pass an opportunity to write more for this AU c;


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